James Doan - Just Minding My Own Business

For some time, experts told us that it is important to avoid negative reviews. "It can take 40 positive reviews to undo the damage done by just one negative review." - Social Media Today But, there is recent research showing otherwise.  Having one in 40 negative customer reviews for business can be harmless or even helpful. 

A much-researched psychological concept, "cognitive load" refers to limits on human brain processing. As more things weigh on someone's attention, it is harder for them to process new information or plan extra tasks. Marketers should think anxious people confined to their homes for a long period of time. They worry about their family's health and try to cope with children around 24/7. These potential customers have a sky-high cognitive load. Try the following techniques to help your email message get across.  Despite readers' high cognitive load.

If you want to make forecasts that are useful and credible, here are some tips to follow. * Focus on your domain of knowledge and avoid making guesses about topics you are not familiar with. This will help you build trust and credibility with your audience. * Identify patterns and trends that are not obvious or widely known. Better yet, find historical parallels that can support your predictions. Choose examples that illustrate how the changes you foresee will be lasting and significant.

When you sell something people buy only once in a long while, they may not understand what to expect it to cost. You don’t want to shock them speechless when you reveal what you charge. So prepare them: - Educate them about the value of your offer. Explain how it can solve their problems, meet their needs, or fulfill their desires. Show them testimonials, case studies, or social proof from other satisfied customers.

Marketing yourself is a high stakes proposition. Should you twist yourself into the persona everyone says your audience wants to see and hear?  For some questionable marketing advisors, that's not even an open question.  They will say you should act the part, regardless of how awkward that mask feels. According to research by Francesca Gino at Harvard Business School, catering to the expectations of the people you want to impress is one-third as effective as being yourself. Why? First, Gino says, trying to impress by pretending to be someone you're not is draining. This will undermine your effectiveness.  Second, uncertainty about what the other side prefers heightens your anxiety. You feel uncomfortable and come across as phony.